Influence of paternal exposure to oil and oil products on time to pregnancy and spontaneous abortions

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of exposure to oi l and oil products among men on the time taken for their wives to conceive and on the incidence of spontaneous abortion among them. A cross-sectional study was performed by posting questionnaires to 1,269 men employed as offs hore mechanics, offshore operators, offshore drilling personnel, car mechan ics (the 'exposed' occupations) and carpenters ('unexposed'). The married m en were asked to give a separate questionnaire to their wives for details a bout their pregnancies. The time elapsed between the beginning of coitus wi thout contraception and the wife becoming pregnant (time to pregnancy) was analyzed with Cox regression analysis by calculating fecundability ratios:f or the pregnancies for the men exposed to oil and oil products as compared with the men who were not exposed. Spontaneous abortions were analyzed with logistic regression by calculating odds ratios for the pregnancies in whic h the men were exposed vs, not exposed. A total of 741 (58%) men returned t he questionnaires. A total of 301 pregnancies were analyzed for time taken to conceive and 580 for spontaneous abortion. The results were adjusted for variables that could significantly influence conception time (previous inf ections of the reproductive system and coffee drinking) or the incidence of spontaneous abortion (mother's age, parity and smoking). The outcomes betw een the exposed and unexposed pregnancies showed no significant differences . Car mechanics had a lower fecundability ratio before 1992 than after 1992 . Paternal exposure to hydrocarbons in the occupations studied did not seem to have had a major influence on time to conception or the incidence of sp ontaneous abortion among the wives of the men exposed to oil products.